


The Way Old Friends Do

by RoxyKatz (sonderlust)



Category: Monster of the Week (Tabletop RPG)
Genre: Blood, Gen, Hospital, Injury, Monsters, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:29:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26610697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sonderlust/pseuds/RoxyKatz
Summary: A dangerous mission goes awry, and Dr Ash Langley must wrestle with the consequences of his actions.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	The Way Old Friends Do

The glass double doors slid open and Ash paused a moment to steady himself against the door frame. A minor-key buzzing swam in his head as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. _Why did I come here?_

The world came in and out of focus, and he was prompted onwards by the doors moving to close automatically. As he stepped into the bleak, colorless room, he felt the eyes of the occupants on him. It made him nervous. To be fair, everything made him nervous, but he especially didn’t like people noticing how out of place he was.

He approached the window at the back of the room and cleared his throat to get the attention of the person sitting at the desk behind it. She looked up and her eyes went wide. It made him nervous. Everything made him nervous. But he was here for a reason. _What was it, again?_

“...Sir?...Are you okay...?”

Ash squinted in an attempt to hear her better. Her lips were moving, but he was only catching pieces. Everything was blurry. And what was that damn buzzing? She got up and said something to someone behind her. He felt strange and sick, as if something horrible had happened. And then he felt his legs buckle as he remembered...something horrible had happened. _What was it?_ He grabbed onto the ledge by the window to keep himself upright. _What...did I do? I must be hurt...that’s right. That’s why I’m here._

“I...I think I need a doctor...” he mumbled, blinking as he noticed blood pooling on the ledge as he spoke. “I think...I’m bleeding...” He looked up, but the woman who was there was gone. “Excuse me...do I need to fill out a form? Ma’am?”

He leaned over the ledge to see where the woman had gone and immediately regretted it as a sharp, searing pain blossomed through his torso. The world went white and the air in his lungs turned to fire. He relinquished his hold on the ledge with a stifled groan and felt his body slide to the floor in a heap.

“If the lady at the desk comes back...” He coughed and he winced as the pain in his chest intensified. Something wet landed on his face and everything smelled like pennies. “Tell her I’m just going to take a rest right here...I know there’s a form I need to fill out or something.” He heard a commotion around him- the shuffling of feet and equipment, muffled voices, that damn buzzing. Darkness encroached on the edges of his vision, and he felt his body become lighter. He was being lifted. A man was speaking with him but the words were garbled by the time they reached Ash’s ears.

“...t is your nam-...”

“Is this for the form? Ash Langley...”

“And h...”

Ash squinted. “Sorry...I didn’t catch that...” Everything hurt.

“...-w old are you, Mr. La-.....”

“...I dunno, around 40? It’s on my license....I can fill out the form if you need that.”

“...-o you know wh-....are?”

“St.....St. David’s....the emergency room...” Ash felt the world moving around him and he groaned. He was so tired. Everything hurt.

“Sir, d-...-member what happened to you?”

Ash blinked. For an instant, everything came into crisp focus. He was in the emergency room and they were cutting him out of his clothes. Asking him questions. Talking to one another in urgent tones. He lifted shaky hands into his field of view and mumbled a brief “oh” as he realized how he must have looked. His hands and the olive green sleeves of his tweed jacket were drenched with blood- but he remembered what happened now. “Oh.” He felt a lump in his throat. “Oh no....” Tears stung his eyes. He remembered what happened now. “Oh God...” He choked back a sob and tried to get up. They wouldn’t let him get up. “Oh God, no...no no no...” The man who had been asking him questions was speaking to him. Ash remembered what happened now.

“Sir? It’s okay, we’re here to help you.”

Ash looked up at the man. “I...I remember what happened...” His vision blurred again and he leaned over the side of the gurney as the contents of his stomach made their great escape. He groaned and whimpered as he lay back down. “I remember....what happened...”

The man was saying something, but Ash felt as though he was receding, floating away across a deep, black ocean. And soon enough, he was too far away to hear the man and drifted off into unconsciousness.

***

Sid had been the first one. She had been pointing out the different mushrooms along the trail, much to Ash’s dismay. Of course he saw them, he didn’t need her bringing his attention to them. He stopped and braced himself as they passed by a particularly vile looking morel- but nothing. He looked back and didn’t see Sid. He couldn’t hear Sid. He motioned for the others to stop. Silence. No sign of her. He squinted in the darkness and saw a faint glow about fifty feet back. _Her phone..._ The smell of ozone hung heavy in the air.

Wilson, who had been right next to Sid, cautiously walked over to where the device was and gingerly picked it up. It was unlocked, and open on the camera. “There’s...there’s a Live Photo...” Wilson swallowed hard as everyone gathered around the phone’s acrid glow. With trembling fingers, he pressed and held- it was that morel, and then the phone suddenly switched to front facing view. A partial view of Sid’s face, but something was off. The playback lasted too long- her pale face twisted and glitched, and then there was nothing, just black. Wilson dropped the phone and stared off into the middle distance. “I...she was right next to me. She was right there...why...why didn’t I notice?” His eyes misted over as he searched the group for answers.

“Hey...” Ash reached up and put his hand on Wilson’s shoulder after picking the phone up off of the ground. “We have to keep our wits about us. It’s the only way we’ll be able to get this thing and find Sid.”

Frankie nodded. “Yeah, don’t worry, Wilson. We’ll get her back. I’m sure Ash has a plan!”

Ash felt a bead of sweat roll down the back of his neck. “Heh...yeah...a plan. That is...definitely a thing I have.” He didn’t have a plan. He never had a plan. He needed a plan. _I have to get the rest of them out of here. They’re in too deep...I’ve got them in too deep._

“That’s right!” Doug clapped Ash on the back much harder than Ash would have preferred. “If being in this human body has taught me anything, it’s that friendship is the most powerful magic that exists! Way more powerful than Hell magic...”

“Okay...so here’s the plan.” Ash spoke low as Frankie, Wilson, and Doug leaned in to listen. “You guys go back out to where the van is, then Doug, you take everyone back to the Library so Frankie can get back up. I think this is going to need to be a multi-agency deal...”

“Wait...” Frankie crossed her arms. “But what about you?”

“I have to stay here to track this thing.” Ash took out his gun and checked to make sure it was loaded. “We don’t want to lose it. I’ll be fine.”

“Ash, that is a terrible plan.”

Ash rolled his eyes. “No, it’s not, it’s the most logical plan. You all get the hell out of here before this thing disappears anyone else.”

“If by logical, you mean awful and terrible, then yes, I suppose it is.”

“Frankie...”

“No, no way, this is a bad plan, and we’re not going to let you just run around by yourself out here and get yourself killed. Besides, I know you’re stuck in like 1970 or whatever, but here in the modern world, we have these amazing inventions called cell phones, so I can just call someone.”

“Look.” Ash pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled sharply. “You guys are out of your depth on this one. This is bigger than I thought, and I...I messed up bringing you guys out here, and it may have cost Sid her life and I don’t want any of the rest of you to meet a similar fate. You’re...you’re civilians, you aren’t kitted out to do this. _I’m_ barely kitted out to do this. So can you-“

“No, Ash.” Wilson cut him off. “You’re...our friend. And friends help each other. We may not be part of a special agency or whatever...but we help each other. It’s what we do...”

Doug nodded. “That’s right! I may not know much, but I know that we wouldn’t be very good friends if we just abandoned you in the woods while a monster capable of warping space-time was hunting you.” Doug unzipped his day glo blue fanny pack and briefly rummaged around. “Besides, we’re plenty kitted out, I brought Mentos!”

Ash blinked. He looked at Frankie and Wilson. They, too, blinked.

“Want one?” Doug popped a Mentos in his mouth. “They’re the Freshmaker!”

“...Sure.” Ash cautiously took the small white disc from Doug’s hand. “I’m...uh...gonna save this. For later. When I need...freshening?”

Doug gave him a thumbs up and shrugged as Frankie and Wilson declined his offer.

“Anyways, I’m just going to call my mentor, I’m sure she’ll be able to help us out.” Frankie pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and leaned against a nearby tree as she made the call.

Ash rolled his eyes and fished an antique silver cigarette case out of his jacket pocket. He absently ran his fingers over the latch- it was originally from the 1920s, but was still in excellent condition. He flipped it open with a satisfying ‘click’ and delicately plucked a cigarette from the case, sighing as he put it between his lips. _Smells like rain again..._ He patted his pockets and swore under his breath as he realized he didn’t have his lighter on him. “Hey Frankie, you got a li-...” His blood crawled to a stop in his veins as he looked over to where Frankie had been standing literally seconds ago. He looked down at the ground and the cigarette tumbled from his lips as he saw the faint glow of Frankie’s phone emanating from the brush.

“...guys...” A choke more than a word, but it got the attention of Wilson and Doug. Ash carefully picked up Frankie’s phone from the underbrush and looked up at the two that were left with him. “It’s on the camera, just like Sid’s was. Another Live Photo.” He exhaled to steel himself, and held his finger down on the screen. It was the side of Frankie’s face, but again, it wasn’t right. The playback was jittery and didn’t look like it was playing in the right order. Her face glitched, and for a split second she faced the camera, her eyes wide, her mouth open in a silent scream. But it was just an instant, and then it was back to the side of her face, then a glitch, and then nothing, she was gone.

The remaining three looked at each other. Ash nodded and put Frankie’s phone in his pocket with Sid’s. “Well, our lead in to the Library is gone...so I would like to go ahead and declare us Officially Fucked.”

“So...what do we do now?” Wilson’s soft voice cut like a knife through the still air.

“I already told you.” Ash fumbled around on the ground and retrieved the cigarette he had dropped, blowing the dirt off before putting it back in his mouth. “You guys need to get the fuck out of here, just let me deal with this. Either of you guys got a light?”

“Well, I do think we already told you, but I can tell you again- we’re not going to do that.” Doug said with a shrug as he rummaged around in his fanny pack, presumably looking for a lighter.

Wilson beat him to it. Ash nodded a thanks as he took the beat up Bic from Wilson. He took a deep drag off the cigarette as he lit it and attempted to exhale the stress he had been carrying. It didn’t work. It never worked.

“You know, man, that stuff’ll kill you...” Wilson said softly, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Ash choked as the sheer ridiculousness of that statement hit him. “Really? This? This is what’s going to do it? I hunt damn monsters, and these shitty little sticks are what’s going to do me in??” He laughed, and his laughter spread to Doug, and eventually to Wilson. “Well if this is what does it, I’ve earned it at that point. And besides...” Ash took another drag of his cigarette. “...don’t you smoke too?”

Wilson chuckled and nodded his head. “Yeah, man, I guess you’re right. Pretty silly thing to say, given the situation we’re in.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “Just wanted to cut the tension, I guess...”

“Well, I think you need to focus on worrying about you right now, and not about me.” Ash was on high alert. Something was stalking them, picking them off one by one. And the most infuriating part was that he hadn’t noticed anything. No sound, no visual trace, no scent on the wind, nothing. _I’m getting sloppy..._ He closed is eyes and tried to focus on his surroundings. He heard Doug shifting his weight to his left, heard Wilson’s exhale on his right. No wind, no insects, no wildlife. Other than the sounds they were making, this part of the woods was eerily quiet. Unnaturally quiet. Doug’s exhale. Wilson pulling something out of his pocket. Wilson’s exhale. Doug walking a couple of feet, stretching maybe? The acrid smell of ozone. Tapping. Something being dropped in the brush near Wilson. Doug’s exhale. Doug walking back. _Wait...why didn’t Wilson pick that up? And where’s his exhale? Oh...oh no..._ Ash opened his eyes, and a chorus of “no’s” escaped his lips as he saw what he was afraid he would see. A dim glow in the underbrush where Wilson had been standing.

“Woah...he was just there.” Doug looked around, perplexed. “I was just looking at him like a second ago.” He went over and picked up Wilson’s phone, shaking his head as he looked at the screen. “Well, you’re not gonna believe this, Ash.”

Ash sighed. “Live Photo?”

“How’d you know???”

“Let’s just see it...”

Doug nodded and pressed on the screen. Much like with Sid and Frankie, the photo was not quite right. It was Wilson’s face, but the color had been completely drained from it. The playback lasted an uncomfortably long time, Wilson’s anguished face lingering on the screen before eventually twisting and disappearing. Ash took the phone with shaking hands and put it in his other pocket. _Easy man...keep your shit together. You’re no good to anyone if you lose it now._

The cool night air stung Ash’s nostrils as he took in slow, ragged breaths. He gingerly pinched the dying ember of his cigarette to put it out, and put the butt in a ziplock baggie which he placed back in his pocket as he assessed his current situation. Doug was the only one left. His hands shook as he held his gun and tentatively looked over his shoulder from behind the tree where he was taking cover. He knew it didn’t matter- it would find him. Just like it had found everyone else.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure this is fine.”

Ash chuckled and shook his head before glancing over at Doug. “Your optimism is a breath of fresh air, buddy.”

“We’re in the woods, it’s all fresh air here!” Doug gestured around.

Ash sighed. “It’s just a turn of phrase.”

“Ohhh...didn’t have that one added to the ol’ memory bank.” Doug nodded and tapped his temple. “Gotcha. Well, to trade a turn of phrase for yours, chin up! I’m sure we’ll find them, we always end up coming out ahead.”

“Chin up...” Ash mumbled weakly.

“Besides, you won’t be able to see it coming if you’re looking at the ground like that, so keep your chin up.”

“Heh...guess you’re right.”

“Sure I am!”

Ash smiled at Doug.

“No, seriously, Ash...” Doug pointed to a spot in the distance. “You won’t be able to see it coming if you’re looking at the ground, because it isn’t on the ground, it’s over there.”

 _Dammit, it got the drop on us._ Ash swore under his breath and leveled his gun at the dark, vaguely humanoid shape in the distance. He wasn’t sure if it had noticed them yet, but he didn’t want to take any chances. “Doug...” He kept his voice low, and his eyes locked onto the creature in the distance.

“Yeah...?” Doug crouched next to Ash.

“I want you to quietly move east about five hundred yards...”

“Uh huh...then what?”

Ash followed the dark shape with his weapon as it glided through the trees. It was almost like it was phasing through them. “Run. Run like hell. Don’t look back. Just run, and forget about me.”

Ash furrowed his brows in frustration as he could sense that Doug was still next to him, not moving. “Buddy...you gotta...come on.” His voice broke as he recalled those Live Photos of his other friends’ last moments. “ _Please_.”

Doug placed a steady hand on Ash’s shoulder. “Tempting as your offer is, I’m afraid we’re going to have to table it for right now.”

“C’mon buddy, please...” Ash was becoming desperate. He hated the feeling of desperation. He hated feeling a lot of things, but desperation was up there in the top five of most hated things to feel. “Please just do this. One. Thing. For me.” Measured syllables through clenched teeth. “We’ve already lost everyone else. At least one of us should make it.”

“I’ll do you one better.” Doug crouched down next to Ash and punched him lightly in the shoulder. “How about both of us make it?”

Ash looked up at Doug, half shocked, half amused. That optimism again. _Almost makes me wanna puke. Almost._ Ash chuckled and shook his head. “Well damnit, you crazy bastard.”

“Heyyyy...I’m no bastard, I know who my dad is. Well...in the sense that he could be knowable at all.”

“Fine, fine...you win.” Ash stood up and brushed the dried leaves and grass off of himself. “We’re in this together.”

“Great! Now then...huh. Where’d it go?”

Ash felt his stomach drop. “Excuse me?”

Doug pointed at the place where they had last seen it to illustrate a distinct lack of anything in that space now.

“ _Shiiiit_...” Ash hissed and made a quick visual scan of the area. It was dark, and the creature’s coloration wasn’t doing them any favors as far as visibility went. The only advantage they had was that it was roughly humanoid shaped, and stood easily ten feet tall- a silhouette that was distinctive against the trees.

“Do you think maybe it went away?” Doug looked around and fished his phone out of his pocket. “Smells kind of like rain, don’t you think? Lemme check my weather app, we may want to head back to the van. I didn’t bring an umbrella...”

Ash took a deep breath and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he realized what he had been smelling. _Ozone..._ The smell hung heavy in the air here, and intensified each time someone went missing. And that’s when Ash realized a key component that he had overlooked. _They were on their phones...!_

“Doug! Buddy, you gotta put your ph-...” Ash whirled around and stopped dead as his brain attempted to parse what he was seeing. What was it? What _was_ it? A dark shape, iridescence apparent in the low light, verging on bioluminescent. A shape, difficult to really pinpoint where it was in space, Ash could see it, but it was almost as though his brain didn’t want to acknowledge the input his eyes were feeding it. Almost as though he was seeing something he shouldn’t be seeing. It was so black it almost came back around to gray. An undulating columnar shape took the space where Doug had been just seconds before- Ash could swear that he saw a glint off of tortoiseshell frames from within the quivering mass. _Has it noticed me?_ Ash slowly leveled his firearm on the creature and followed the shape down to where it terminated as a small tendril emanating from the dimly glowing screen of Doug’s phone. _Sunnuvabitch_. Something didn’t seem right, though. The mass was quivering and almost seemed more real with every passing second. Without warning, it coalesced into the same humanoid shape they had seen earlier and on instinct, Ash fired three shots into what he hoped was a vital area as the elongated head took shape. His shots hit their marks, but to Ash’s horror, the wounds quickly healed over, and the creature turned to face him.

“Aw hell...” Ash quickly holstered his gun and took a tentative step backwards. The creature had no eyes that he could see, but boasted a set of sharp-looking, needle-like teeth in its expansive mouth. Ash had no intention of finding out whether or not those teeth were actually sharp. He took another step backwards. The creature opened its mouth, and the sound that came out sent an impulse directly to Ash’s brain stem- **_run_**.

Without hesitation, Ash turned and attempted to flee, but he wasn’t able to take two steps before the shimmering darkness reached out a long, sinewy tendril and wrapped it around his chest. He wheezed as it continued to wrap around him, squeezing the air out of his lungs and causing black dots to cascade across his vision. A sickening crunch, followed by four more. Broken ribs, he assumed, but the flood of adrenaline coursing through his veins prevented him from feeling it. _That’s not ideal..._

He frantically struggled as the creature drew him closer, swiping at it with his fists as it brought him within striking range. But his blows fell short, and his struggling only seemed to vex his assailant. It made a noise that Ash could have sworn was a command before lashing out the appendage that was holding him, and thrashing him against a nearby tree. His world flashed white as his head collided with the tree trunk. His head swam as the creature drew him back in to face it and something warm and wet ran from his ears down the sides of his neck. Ash stopped struggling.

A chill ran across his skin as another tendril branched out from the creature’s torso and affixed itself to Ash’s cheek, and his struggling resumed as he felt the appendage split like veins and make their way up his face, moving to cover the bridge of his nose. A panicked whimper escaped from him as he felt the questing branchlet wriggle its way under his eyelid. _Quit freaking out! You’ve got your arms free, don’t give it a reason to pin th-_ A jolt ran through Ash’s body that interrupted his thinking. Something was in his mind. Something was observing him from inside of his own mind. Something was screaming- a high pitched, keening wail pierced the otherwise oppressive silence of the woods. Something out there was screaming, afraid it was going to die. Ash realized that he was the one screaming.

His screams intensified as the thing drew him closer, until he was close enough to feel the chill coming off of it. A sickly sweet smell hit Ash’s nose- had his situation been a little less dire, it might have given him a craving for cola. But right now, all he craved was freedom.

“LET GO OF ME! LET GO OF ME!!” Ash squirmed fruitlessly and moaned as a fit of coughing caused spasms of pain to dance through his body.

**WHEN THE BODY DOES THE VIOLENT MOVEMENT, THE MOST DELICATE FLESH IS HARMED. CEASE THESE VIOLENT MOVEMENTS TO PRESERVE THE DELICATE FLESH. IF THE VIOLENT MOVEMENTS CONTINUE, THE BODY FUNCTION WILL BE LIMITED OR HALTED.**

Ash stopped squirming and blinked as he realized what was happening. Whatever this thing was, it had created a direct link with his brain. Its thoughts were deafening. _This...must be how it communicates?_

**IT IS CORRECT. CEASE THE VIOLENT MOVEMENT. THIS ONE WISHES TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE FLESH CREATURE.**

_Okay, but first, what did you do with the others? The ones that were with me?_

**THE COMPONENTS WERE NECESSARY FOR THIS ONE TO OBTAIN. EXPLAIN THE NATURE OF THE LAST ONE.**

Ash felt a surge of anger. This thing had taken his friends and used them for...food, energy, whatever. But they were gone. And he was probably next. _Aww, poor baby, do you have indigestion?_ Ash scoffed.

 **NO DIGESTION, THE COMPONENTS WERE NECESSARY. THIS ONE CAN NO LONGER RETURN TO THE PLACE BEYOND STARLIGHT. COMPONENTS ARE NEEDED FOR THE FINAL RETURN. EXPLAIN THE NATURE OF THE LAST ONE.** A guttural sound emanated from the creature’s core.

 _The nature...oh..._ Ash wheezed and a dry, rasping laugh escaped his lips. A fine mist of blood spattered against his face. _That wasn’t a human that you decided to break down for parts or whatever the hell you’re doing. That was a grade A demon, you nitwit. Pretty sure they’re not from this plane, so who knows what you’ve done to whatever it is you’re trying to repair with these ‘components’. Good luck getting back home now, asshole._

The creature made a low thrumming sound and Ash could feel it pondering what he had said. As it pondered, Ash reached his hands into his pockets. He had the device the Agency had provided to him to attempt to capture this thing, but their instructions were pretty explicit in that he should be nowhere near the device after it was activated. He wasn’t sure he had a choice, though, at this point, and he couldn’t risk letting this thing run rampant. Especially if it was now trapped in this place and unable to return to wherever it came from. He needed to buy himself some time.

_So what brings you here? Taking the family to enjoy the fabulous music scene? Or was this just like, a pit stop at a gas station for you? Where even are you from anyways?_

 **WE HAVE BEEN SEEN. IT WAS NECESSARY TO DISCOVER WHICH ENTITY GLIMPSED THE PLACE WE STAY. THE ENTITY WHICH OBSERVED US OBSERVED MANY THINGS THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE OBSERVED. THE ENTITY HAS NOW BEEN RECLAIMED. WITH THIS ACTION WE ARE SATISFIED AND CAN RETURN. THE OTHERS MAY NO LONGER LAY CLAIM. THERE WERE MANY THIS ENTITY OBSERVED. THEY MAY NO LONGER LAY CLAIM.** The creature lifted Ash and tilted its head to the side. **THERE ARE SECRETS INSIDE OF YOU.**

Ash winced as he felt his feet leave the ground, his battered torso now bearing most of his weight against the creature’s vice-like grip. _Nng...yeah, well, we’ve all got secrets. What the hell are you anyways, some kind of goo? Like...what’s your composition?_

**THE FLESH CREATURE DESIRES THIS KNOWLEDGE FOR WHAT PURPOSE?**

 _I’m a scientist. Just curious..._ Ash desperately hoped this thing would fall for his bluff, almost as much as he hoped his hunch was correct.

**THIS ONE IS COMPOSED OF MANY THINGS. THE FLESH CREATURE SEEKS THIS ONE’S DESTRUCTION.**

 _Damn, was I that transparent?_ A strange series of pulses moved through Ash’s skull and cascaded down his spine. If he didn’t know better, Ash could swear that this thing was laughing at him.

**THE FLESH CREATURE SHALL INSTEAD BE REDUCED TO COMPONENT PIECES BY THIS ONE. WE HAVE GATHERED SUFFICIENT DATA FROM THE FLESH CREATURE AND ITS USEFULNESS IS EXHAUSTED. THE UNDOING IS SWIFT, BUT THE SUFFERING IS PRODIGIOUS. IT CANNOT BE HELPED.**

Ash felt a sense of relief wash over him as the tendril snaked its way out of his face and off of him, but his relief was soon replaced with another surge of adrenaline as the creature opened its terrible jaws and poised itself over him. This was his chance- it was now or never.

“Woah, buddy, all those people you’ve been eating has given you some terrible breath!” Ash wheezed, fishing into his pocket and grabbing the small candy that he had saved from earlier. He flung the candy into the creature’s gaping maw and waited. _One...two...three..._

Ash barely hit three before he noticed a reaction occurring deep within the belly of the beast. The thing’s skin was translucent, as he suspected, and it was now apparent that the shimmering was tiny bubbles. A low rumble crescendoed into a roar and Ash clenched his jaw as the tendril which was wrapped so tightly around his chest tightened further. The creature’s abdomen began to distend and swell, and finally split with a wet, tearing noise, showering Ash in a flood of viscera. _Alright, time for part two..._ Ash swiftly pulled the small, silver device from his pocket. It was roughly the size and shape of a ballpoint pen- brushed nickel, with gold inlay for the joining seams. At the tip was a smooth, red button underneath a protective clear cap. The creature roared out in pain and Ash gritted his teeth as he felt a tendril lance itself through his forearm. He flipped the protective clear cap off of the device. The creature hissed at Ash in what sounded like a thousand languages at once, and Ash braced himself as he pushed the button.

“Nothing personal, kid...”

Ash thought for a moment that he had been given a dud, but then he felt it. It started as a low rumbling in his bones and within a few seconds he felt as though he was being torn in a thousand different directions at once. The creature emitted a wailing howl and attempted to disentangle itself from Ash, but Ash was not so easily brushed off. “I may not make it...” Ash sputtered, his breath shallow and shaky. “...but I’m gonna make sure I take you out with me.” He wrapped his arm around the tendril that was wrapped around him and hooked his fingers in it as deeply as he could. _Just hold on....you’ve gotta hold on no matter what._

The creature continued to howl and attempted to use the tendril that had impaled Ash’s arm that was holding the device to fling the offending item away. Ash winced as he felt the gash in his arm widen, but he refused to relinquish his grasp on the device. _How long has it been now?_ His vision began to fade and a high pitched buzzing filled his ears. He felt as though reality itself was being torn away from him. _Just a little longer...you can hold on just a little longer._ The shimmering black mess in front of him began to rapidly convulse, and with another anguished wail it attempted to strangle what life was left in Ash out of him. Ash coughed and sputtered as another tendril lashed out and wrapped itself around his neck. _Just keep holding on. I’ve almost got it, I’m sure of it._ A strangled whimper escaped from Ash’s lips as his world began to fade from him- everything was going dark. Maybe he had miscalculated. _I’m sorry..._ He felt the strength in his hand leaving him. _I’m so sorry._ Everything slipped into the background as he felt the device slip out of his hand. _I couldn’t...save anyone..._ He felt the sensation that he was falling, and the world went dark. _Who’s gonna feed my cats...?_

***

A gasp, and the world came back into view. Ash found himself sprawled out on the ground, leaves and blood in his shaggy, auburn hair and dew creating a subtle shimmer on his clothes and skin. _Where...what. What happened?_ A low whimper eased out of him as he slowly sat up. Every inch of his body burned and buzzed. _What happened??_ He looked around and murmured a soft “oh” as he saw the rumpled remains of the creature that had stolen his friends. “Better get this thing to the Agency...” He stood on shaky legs and felt nausea overcome him as he strained to drag it through the woods to his van.

Things came in waves- one moment he was puking at the side of his van as the pain in his torso became unbearable, the next moment he was pulling up to the Agency. He didn’t remember the drive.

He remembered coughing up blood as the security guard raised the gate to let him in. A walk that usually took five minutes easily taking thirty as he had to stop and catch his breath. And finally, he remembered Troy, that big, blonde idiot who worked in containment, catching him as his legs finally decided No More and gave out beneath him.

“P-put...me down...this instant...” Ash wheezed as he attempted to menace his way back to his feet, but his body was clearly done taking orders from the likes of him.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Dr. Langley...” Even concerned, Troy sounded unreasonably pleasant. “I think we should get you to the hospital.”

Ash snorted and winced. “N-no way.” Ash patted his jacket pockets and breathed a sigh of relief as he felt his cigarettes and his pocket watch. “Hospitals are where you go to die...” Ash feebly struggled as Troy began carrying him to the exit. “...h-hey, are you hearing me? I said put me down!” He coughed and groaned as black dots filled his vision.

“Yeah, I don’t think so, buddy. Time to go to the emergency room.” Troy grabbed a clipboard and scribbled something on it before turning to his coworker. “Hey Lance, watch the box, will ya? Gotta take Dr. Langley to the ER.”

“Sure thing, bro! You want me to tell Donna in HR?”

“Nah, bro, I’ll let her know once I’m done at the ER with him.” Troy looked at Ash with a sickening kindness and concern in his warm hazel eyes. “Don’t worry, buddy. They’re gonna get you fixed up, I promise.”

Ash made a slight gurgling noise as he attempted to argue. Troy wasn’t a doctor. He couldn’t know that. There’s no way he could be sure of that. _Why do you insist on being so damn nice to me??? I’m always giving you guys weird ass shit that makes your job more difficult. I’m sloppy. I miss things and you end up with the extra work. And you’re still so damn nice. Why???_ He thought these things, but didn’t have the energy to say them out loud. Everything took so much effort, and he was so tired. Maybe he should take a little nap. Just a moment to rest his eyes. He was sure he’d feel better once he had a chance to rest his eyes.

He closed his eyes, and the next thing he knew, someone was gently shaking him.

“Five more minutes.” The words oozed out of his mouth. Everything tasted like copper.

“Hey buddy, you gotta come with me, we’re gonna go to the emergency room.”

Ash’s eyes slowly fluttered open. “Huh?”

“We’re gonna go to the emergency room, okay?” Troy’s voice wafted through the air to him, though it was overlaid with a harsh buzzing.

“Yeah...the emergency room.” Ash nodded and idly rubbed his nose as he felt something wet on his upper lip. “Huh,...” He blinked as he saw blood on his hand. “Are you okay...? Why d’you need me here?”

Troy sighed. “No, Dr. Langley. I’m taking you to the emergency room. You’re looking really hurt, you need to see a doctor.”

“But I am a doctor...” Ash’s words felt like molasses in his mouth as he fumbled with the seatbelt. “Alright, then, see you on Monday...”

Troy blinked. “Uh du-...I mean, Dr. Langley?”

“Yeah?”

“It’s Tuesday.”

“Yeah? Well I’ll be damned...” Ash slid out of the car. “Then don’t wait up.”

“You want me to go with you.”

“Nah.” Ash steadied himself as he looked up at the bright red “EMERGENCY” lit up in neon on the column in front of him. “They may put me in that ass-less gown...I don’t need...anyone to see that...” He mumbled and woozily made his way to the entrance.

***

A gentle beeping echoed in Ash’s subconscious. Something near him whirred and he opened his eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. Something was squeezing his arm. Another cascade of beeps and the squeezing subsided.

 _That’s right..._ He looked around and winced. Tubes. Charts. A bunch of obnoxious, beeping machines. _But what’s the point...they’re all gone._ His phone buzzed on the table beside him and he took a glance down to see if what he was afraid of had come to pass. He frowned as he saw that familiar green patterned fabric. “Dammit...” His voice came out thin and dry. He cleared his throat. “...they went and put me in that damn ass-less gown.” He sighed and looked around the room. He blinked as he saw someone familiar asleep in a chair by the window next to him.

“T...roy?...” His frown deepened. “The hell...? Hey...hey you...”

A light snore in response, and then the young blonde man startled awake. “Oh dude! I mean uh, Dr. Langley, you’re awake!” Troy stood up and smoothed out the wrinkles in his shirt. “How’re you feeling.”

“Annoyed. Tired. Hungry.” Ash scowled as his phone buzzed again. “Why are you here?”

“Well, I figured you’d want someone here when you woke up, right?”

“You figured wrong...”

“Sounds like someone is a little bit grumpy. D’you want me to get you something from the cafeteria? The nurse said it would be okay for you to eat something once you woke up.”

Ash sighed. “Ugh...I dunno. Just...bring me like three of those hospital Jell-o’s I guess.”

“Sure thing bro-...I mean, Dr. Langley.” Troy beamed, and Ash felt like he was going to barf. “You got a color you like best?”

“If by _color_ , you mean _flavor_ , then no. I don’t have a flavor I like best. Just get me whatever looks the best.” Ash glanced at his phone as it buzzed again. _Who the hell is texting me???_ “Did...you guys call my aunt or something?”

Troy paused at the door. “No, remember? You didn’t want to update your emergency contact when Donna was asking for us to. You just put Hospital. So that’s why I came up here.”

“Huh...”

“You okay...?” Troy lingered in the doorway.

Ash blinked. “Well, I woke up on this side of things, so I guess I’m doing better off than others.” He felt a pang of intense sadness. He wanted a cigarette. He wanted a drink.

“Oh...okay then. Let me uhhh...get that Jell-o for you.” Troy trotted off down the hall.

The phone on the table buzzed again. “DAMN it...what the hell, who is texting me?” Ash winced as he lifted his arm. He couldn’t quite reach his phone on the table.

“Ah, Mr. Langley, I see you’re awake.” A tall, gangly man in a white coat holding a clipboard came into his room and looked at him appraisingly. “And how are you feeling today?”

“I’d be a lot better if I weren’t hooked up to all of this nonsense.”

“Well, if you’ll believe it, you’re not the first person to tell me that...” The man who Ash presumed was a doctor chuckled and shook his head. “Well, let’s see here...you’ve sustained quite a few major injuries. Are you able to provide us with any additional information?”

“Had a run in with a tree, and almost unmade myself with a device that warps space time and can interrupt cellular activity to a fatal level in certain organisms...” Ash mumbled and strained as he reached for his phone which had buzzed again.

“Hmm...” The doctor noted something on his clipboard.

Ash cracked a weak smile and turned to face the doctor again. “...you should see the other guy...”

“So...there was an altercation?”

“It was a joke.”

“Mr. Langley-...”

“ _Doctor_ Langley.”

The doctor sighed and took a moment to gain his composure. “Dr. Langley...as I’ve said before, you’ve sustained several major injuries. I’ve got your treatment plan here, if you feel okay enough for me to go over it with you.”

“Sure sure sure...” Ash waved his hand and went back to attempting to get his phone. The doctor’s words went in one ear and out the other as Ash leaned over the bed and finally snatched his phone from the table. His surroundings fell away as he saw the texts he was getting. _The...the group text...? But..._ With shaking hands, he unlocked his phone and navigated to his messages. _They’re asking me where I am? Frankie, Doug, Wilson, Sid...they’re...alive...?_ Ash looked up at the doctor.

“I gotta get outta here.” Ash flung off the sheet covering him and frantically looked at the IV lines coming off of him. “Doc can you give me a hand and disconnect me from all of this...stuff?”

“W-wait, Dr. Langley, hold on.” The doctor swiftly stepped over and gently placed a hand on Ash’s shoulder as he pressed the call button for the nurse. “You really should rest, you’re in no state to be discharged. As I was saying-...”

“With all due respect, doctor...” Ash turned his phone screen to face the exasperated man. “...my friends are waiting for me.”

“Well, I-“

“And if you don’t help me, I’m just going to have to yank all these tubes out myself, and I’m sure that’s gonna make a mess...Troy, perfect timing, I need a ride to the Kerbey Lane...” Ash winced as he eased himself out of the bed and rolled the IV stand with him as he looked around the room for his clothes.

Troy stood in the doorway, bewildered and holding two bags full of Jell-o cups. “Uhhh okay? You being discharged?”

“Yep, doc here’s letting me out, ain’t that right?” Ash shot a threatening look at the tall man in the white coat, who looked like he regretted coming into this particular room at this particular time.

“You know I cannot approve you being discharged, right?”

“Fine, whatever, I’m discharging myself AMA, then.”

The nurse hurried in and looked between everyone in the room. “Uhhh... Dr. S, everything okay?”

Ash and the doctor stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity before Dr. S sighed and turned to the nurse.

“Olivia, will you please prepare Dr. Langley for discharge?” He straightened up and noted something on his clip board while giving Ash a sideways glance.

“O-oh...okay. Sure thing.” Olivia turned to Ash and looked back at the doctor for reassurance before looking back at Ash. “Uh, so let me go get that started for you, and I’ll be back to help you out.”

“Sounds good...” Ash beckoned Troy over and rummaged through the bags as the doctor and the nurse left the room. “Man, did you seriously get all red?”

“Uh...yeah?” Troy blinked. “What? Red is the best flavor!”

“Maybe if you have no taste...orange is where it’s at. Green is a close second. If you were going to bring the entire stock, you could have at least brought a variety.” Ash sighed and looked up at Troy. “But uh...thanks, man, I appreciate it.” Troy beamed and Ash felt like he was going to be sick again. “Ugh, you don’t have to smile all nice like that.”

Troy laughed. “Man, you must be really hungry, you’re _extra_ fussy today.”

“I’m not _fussy_ , I’m just...in pain. And tired. And hungry.” Ash grabbed one of the Jell-o cups and hastily ripped off the top.

“You should eat something.” Troy sat down and stretched.

“Yeah, yeah...”

“Oh, by the way, I brought you an extra pair of clothes from your locker just in case uh...you want to put some pants on.” Troy motioned over to the bag he had brought in.

“Thank the heavens, Troy you are a mensch.” Ash mumbled through a mouthful of Jell-o. “As soon as they get me unhooked from the matrix here, I’m gonna need you to run me by the Kerbey Lane, I gotta check on something.”

“Sure thing, Dr. Langley, anything for you!” Troy smiled and gently patted Ash on the shoulder. Ash paused for a moment, and thought maybe he didn’t need to puke. Maybe it was okay to let someone be nice to him. Maybe just once or twice. _Must be those pain meds they have me on..._

The nurse came back after a while and swiftly unhooked Ash from the machines, and whisked him through the discharge process. A couple of signatures, a packet of discharge instructions, and he was good to go. He nodded as he staggered over to the bag that Troy had brought and quickly changed into his spare clothes. Ash straightened his jacket and winced before turning to Troy. “Alright, let’s go...”

Troy nodded and gathered up the rest of Ash’s things. He offered Ash an arm to lean on and Ash pulled a face as he not so politely refused. “I’m fine, I don’t need to be carried out like a damsel in distress.”

“Fine, fine...have it your way.” Troy laughed and shook his head.

Ash slowly made his way across the parking lot, vaguely aware that the pain medication they had been feeding him through IV was starting to wear off. _I...am not going to feel great when this wears off._ He fished in his pocket and pulled out the wad of papers that the doctor had begrudgingly handed him and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw a prescription for Vicodin sitting pretty at the top of the stack. _Well, a little blessing at least..._

Troy attempted to make small talk with Ash on the relatively short drive to Kerbey Lane, but Ash was preoccupied with his phone, responding in monosyllabic affirmations.

**Wednesday 9:19 PM**

WILSON: you guys heading over? my shift’s over in a few

FRANKIE: Sure thing!

DOUG: Yeah!!! :-) Love, Doug

SID: yeh i’m always a slut for pancakes

**10:30PM**

FRANKIE: Ash? You in?

FRANKIE: Bueller???

**Yesterday 6:20 PM**

SID: found a whole colony of these nasty white mushrooms in my yard, gonna cultivate them and start a garden

**7:40 PM**

SID: seriously??? nothing?

SID: come on dude, it’s a joke

SID: r u mad????

DOUG: Maybe he’s asleep? I don’t think he’d ever get mad at you. O3O Love, Doug

FRANKIE: Has anyone seen or heard from him though?

FRANKIE: Helloooooo, Ash!

WILSON: maybe he’s busy with work, isn’t it finals week?

FRANKIE: No, that was last month. And he was bragging about being so caught up with his work that he could take a two week vacation without anyone noticing.

**Today 12:20 PM**

FRANKIE: Hey Ash, where are you???

SID: maybe the fungus finally got him

FRANKIE: Not funny, Sid. He isn’t at his house, and Jack says he hasn’t seen him since TUESDAY.

FRANKIE: I’ve even tried calling him. No answer. :(

SID: woah, sorry, jeez

WILSON: it isn’t like him to just vanish. maybe something happened? there was some weird activity in the woods on tuesday night according to this forum i’m on. this could be bad, guys...

DOUG: Uh oh! :-( Love, Doug

WILSON: let me do some more research.

DOUG: Thumbs up! Love, Doug

**7:20 PM**

FRANKIE: Find anything yet, Wilson?

WILSON: was just about to txt u guys. meet up at kerb?

SID: ???????

WILSON: it’s some real weird stuff

DOUG: Oh no, is everything okay? Love, Doug

WILSON: idk, but whatever it is, i got a bad migraine when i tried to think abt it too much

WILSON: talk more at the K

Ash swallowed hard and his thumbs hovered over the keyboard on his phone. _“Sorry I went MIA there, got caught up in some work drama.”_ He hesitated over the send button. He hammered on the backspace to clear it. _“Hey guys, I’m here, heading to Kerbey rn...”_. Hesitate. Delete. He sighed and rubbed his head, wincing as he hit a sore spot. His whole head was a sore spot.

“Alright, we’re here.” Troy pulled into a spot in the front and put the car in park. “You need help getting out?”

Ash shook his head. “No, thank you...you’ve done more than enough. I’ll uh...see you at work.” He gathered his things and stifled a groan as he climbed out of the car. “Thank you...again.” Ash awkwardly waved and shut the door as Troy smiled and nodded in response.

He took a shaky breath in and winced as he pulled open the heavy wooden door. _Please...please be there. Please..._ He nervously walked up to the host station and tapped on the stand as he waited for the young man at the front to turn around.

“One second- oh!” The chipper teen turned around to greet Ash, and blinked, mouth agape as he got a look at him. “Ohmigosh, what happened to you, Ash???”

“Oh, you know, just busy fighting my demons...” Ash shifted his weight.

“Uh...what?” The kid slowly grabbed a menu.

“Hey Gavin, are...are my friends here?” The words hesitated behind a wall of fear and pain.

“Yeah, man...” Gavin slowly replaced the menu as Ash shook his head. “They’re in the usual spot, go on back...”

“Thanks.” Ash cautiously made his way around the host stand and braced himself. As he peered over to where their usual booth was, his breath caught in his chest and he felt a sharp stinging in his temple as a smile forced its way to his face. _They’re...they’re here. They’re all here!_ Wilson, Sid, Frankie, and Doug, with a space left at the end and a full glass of water on the table- it was waiting for him, like nothing had happened at all. He walked over as briskly as he could, his giddiness overpowering the growing pain he was feeling as the pain medication continued to wear off.

“Hey! Guys! Sorry I’m late.” Ash wheezed and took a moment to catch his breath. _No mangled bodies, no broken limbs, not even a scratch...like nothing ever happened!_

“Ash!!!” Frankie exclaimed, her excitement quickly overtaken by concern as she looked up and saw the state of him. “Oh...oh my **God**! Ash! What **happened** to you?!!”

“N-nothing...it’s nothing.” He sat down in the empty space and looked around the table to see a chorus of astonished faces. “So...how have you guys, uh, been?”

“Well, I’m glad you asked!” Doug smiled. “We got a new coffee maker at the office, and boy let me tell you, that thing makes one hell of a cup of coffee! Real good stuff!” Doug nodded and took a sip of his coffee. “But enough about me, what the hell happened to you, buddy?!”

Ash shrugged and made a non-committal noise. “I dunno...”

“ExCUSE me?” Frankie crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows at Ash. “You don’t KNOW? You fall off the face of the Earth for three days, and then all of a sudden come back looking like you’ve been beaten, and you don’t KNOW what HAPPENED???”

Ash shrugged.

“I call bullshit.” Sid’s monotone voice had a hint of something in it. Almost as if she knew something she wasn’t letting on. “I think you know what happened.” She narrowed her eyes at him.

“I...I do know what happened.” Ash swallowed hard. _You can’t tell her. Lie._

“You do...”

“It...it was a car accident.” He looked at his bruised and bandaged hands as he fidgeted with the napkin in front of him. _I can’t tell them what happened. What if knowing harms them? I can’t risk it._

“No it wasn’t.” Sid’s voice was low and Ash could swear she was trembling. Something told him that she knew. Maybe not consciously, but somewhere in her mind, she knew. They hadn’t escaped unscathed after all. Not really.

“No...it wasn’t.” Ash shook his head and gritted his teeth as he felt tears stinging his eyes. “I...I couldn’t...I mean, it’s just that...I didn’t realize. I didn’t realize the connection.” Everything he had been bottling up began to bubble towards the surface and spill out. “And by the time I did, it was too late. I’m...s-sorry...” He choked back a sob and winced. Doug put an arm around his shoulders, and the warmth of that action unleashed a hidden flood of emotion that Ash hadn’t fully been able to process. He sank into Doug’s arms and clutched onto his shirt as his body was wracked with sobs.

“H-hey, it’s okay man.” Wilson put a hand on Sid’s shoulder and shook his head at her as he addressed Ash. “You...you don’t gotta tell us if you don’t want to.”

“Oh...oh Ash, honey, it’s okay.” Frankie leaned over and hugged Ash, and by extension Doug, since Ash did not appear to be letting go of him any time soon. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want, I’m really sorry I pressed. We were just so worried about you! And Jack was worried sick!!” Frankie gently took his hand as he reached out for her. “But the important thing is that you’re okay! And Mulder and Special Agent Dale Cooper are okay too, I went and check on them, so don’t worry yourself about that.” Frankie exchanged a nervous glance with everyone at the table as Ash continued to cry into Doug’s shirt and mouthed a panicked ‘what do I do’ across the table. Doug shrugged and continued holding Ash as he wept.

Sid took a long sip of her coffee. “Don’t worry, guys. I got this.” She slipped under the table and reappeared on the other side, casually sauntering over to Ash. She knelt down and rested her chin on her fists. “Hey. Are you crying, Ash the Stampede?”

Ash abruptly stopped sobbing and blinked. He slowly let go of Doug and turned around to face Sid. “Did...did you just...quote an anime at me?”

“Did I?”

Ash blinked some more. “I...I think you did.”

“Heh.” Sid stood up and put her hand on Ash’s shoulder. “Of course you’d get it. You’re such a nerd.”

“I...hmmm.” Ash shook his head and smiled as he dried off his face with his napkin. “You got me there.” He pulled a face as he looked over at Doug’s shirt and offered a sheepish ‘sorry’.

“Don’t worry about it, buddy!” Doug flagged down a waitress. “Sometimes you just gotta have a good cry and then eat some breakfast food. Luckily, you’ve gotten one of those out of the way, now let’s get on to the second one!”

“Yeah...I’m starved.” Ash exhaled and winced. “Can’t wait to have some pancakes and a nice cup of coffee. They make a damn fine cup of coffee here...” Ash sighed and felt the stress and tension of the past few days start to ease up. Maybe things would be okay. _Maybe it just seems worse than it is? Or...maybe the worst is yet to come..._


End file.
